Court Abolishes Gun Ban In Public Housing Projects

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE - NORTHEAST

April 5, 1995

PORTLAND, MAINE — Maine's highest court on Tuesday struck down a 20-year-old ban on guns in Portland's public housing projects. In its unanimous ruling, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court sidestepped the constitutional issue of the right to bear arms, focusing instead on the political status of the Portland Housing Authority. The justices concluded that the housing agency does not have the power to regulate the possession of firearms independent of prevailing state law. The National Rifle Association's lawsuit challenging the ban has been watched closely around the country as a potential test of the ability of public housing agencies to restrict guns.